Herta Handed Sixth FP1 Run in Brazil to Seal Final Superlicence Point

Colton Herta will drive Sergio Perez's Cadillac in Friday's opening practice at Interlagos — his sixth FP1 outing of the season — as the team moves to secure the final FIA superlicence point he needs to race in Formula 1.

Why it matters:

Cadillac's 2027 line-up hinges on clearing a bureaucratic hurdle. Once Herta holds the licence, the team can freely choose between keeping Valtteri Bottas alongside Perez for a second year or handing the American his debut.

The details:

• Cadillac believed Herta had reached the 40-point threshold in Mexico City last weekend, but a review of his earlier IndyCar results left him one point short.
• A Friday session earns a single point provided the driver completes 100km; 24 laps of the 4.3km circuit will satisfy that requirement.
• His Monza running was cut short by a mechanical failure, costing him the mileage — and the point — he had counted on.
• Teams are only obliged to field a rookie in four FP1 sessions per year, so this sixth run is a deliberate choice rather than a formality.

Between the lines:

Bottas, who escaped a high-speed front-left suspension failure in Mexico, says he is "pretty confident" of staying. Team principal Marcin Budkowski confirmed mitigations have been implemented and described Herta's feedback as "invaluable to our 2027 development program."

What's next:

Herta expects a clean run plan. "Interlagos is such an iconic, historic track," he said, adding that his aim is to give Checo and the engineers usable setup data. With the point all but banked, Cadillac's real decision begins — and both doors remain open.